Social Inertia

Guest blogged by Peter A. Miller

Fall (or autumn, if you like) has now appeared on the doorstep of the Stockholm region. The area’s deciduous trees are in the process of flaunting their seasonal finery, and crops are being harvested …. including apples. And here I sit at my computer, considering what to write about, and eating yes, an apple, which spurs me to thoughts about Sir Isaac Newton. This gentleman was, of course, the very gifted English physicist, mathematician, and even otherwise multifaceted man of science who many of us remember for his work with describing the laws of universal gravitation (you know, the famous apple falling from the tree?) …. and also for formulating his three laws of motion.

Well, it’s that first law of motion that is currently catching my interest as I simultaneously contemplate and munch on what’s left of my Newton-inspiring apple  the law that states (and I paraphrase) "A body at rest tends to remain at rest, and a body in motion tends to remain in motion, unless acted upon by an external force."

The jump to applying this Newtonian observation to the human condition doesn’t seem like a very big one to me. I’ll start with myself as an example. At home we have an electric energy provider, just the way I’m sure we all do. Most of us have been told that "it pays to shop around" .... that we should actively contact the competitors to see if we can get a lower rate and/or a better overall deal. Have we done that yet? Such a question! Inertia!! We remain at rest, and our household’s electricity provider remains the same (for better or worse) because somehow it seems like too much of a bother to launch that project!

Or assuming you still have confidence in banks, take the different bank savings accounts where each may offer different rates of interest and conditions. How many of us are totally on top of that situation, quickly making the necessary transfers and adjustments to constantly maximize yield? I truly hope we all are, but I have some doubts …. present company included!

So, now I will attempt to apply the inertia concept to social behavior: After a day’s work, especially outside the house, it’s easy to arrive home and get comfortable, particularly if you’ve had a grinding day! No matter what interesting event might be attracting you once again to leave home and go downtown, there is that temptation to stay put … to remain at home (do you recognize what I’m talking about?) …. to remain at rest ….. to dwell in your comfort zone …. to "honor" your inertia.

And yet, when you’ve overcome that inertia, when you’ve exerted the necessary effort to win that uphill battle, don’t you almost always feel really good that you’ve conquered your lethargy? I honestly can’t remember one time when I was angry that I rose to the occasion and attended a quality event or social get-together, in spite of the immediate allure of the TV and sofa at home. I always feel rewarded for my efforts.

Hopefully, in the best of cases, this little essay can serve as part of that external force that acts on your social inertia, and sets your social self in greater motion. ….. and who knows ... ? …. We just might start seeing you at more ESCC activities too!

Peter A. Miller is president of the English Speaking Community Club of Sweden.